Compressor housing



Jan. 31 l933.

T. J. FOWLER COMPRESSOR HOUSING Original Filed Oct.

IN V EN ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 3l, 41933 UNITED STAT-E TENT OFFICE con e npplicadcn tied @atelier a, ii-"r serial itc. Statali. enewed April 6 i932.

i This invention relates to rerigerating machinery and more particularlyv toa compressor and driving means therefor.

The invention provides a compressor tor a mechanical reirigerator which is built in a single unit with a driving motor and is so' constructed as to eliminate vthe necessity for stuiiing boxes and external driving connections.

According to one :form oi the invention, two compressor cylinders are moted on opposite sides ot thernotor and are directly driven 'from the motor shaft, the compressor cylinders andthe motor being enclosed in a single unitarycasing. The casing inclndes means for equalizing the gas pressure and the oil level between the two cylinders and ior preventing oil and reirigeratinggases from interfering with the operation oi the motor.

The invention is particnlarly applicable to small reirigerating units and is suciently compact to be conveniently assembledwas a part oit such units. Y v

vvThe invention also consists in certain new and original features ot construction and combinations ci' parte hereinafter set forth Aand claimed.

Although the novel Afeatures which are believed to he characteristic oi this invention will be particularly pointed out inthe claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, the inode of its operation andthe manner or' its organization may be better understood by referringv to 4the following description taken in connection' with the accompanying drawing forming a v part thereof, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in section ol he compressor units and driving motor; an

lig. 2 is a sectional view ot a modied .p form ont oil ring which may be used for preventing oil :trom entering the motor com'- partnient.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several Jgures oi the drawing. lin the iollowing description and in the claims parts will be identied by speciiic names for convenience, but they are intended to'be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit.

-Reterring to the drawing more in detail, the invention is shown as applied toa compresser unit including a motor 10, having a casingwhnich is formed with a central section 11 provided with feet 12 or other suitable means for attachment to a base member 13. End sections 14 oi the casing are provided vvith a motor section 15 which, in con-V f junction with centralsection 11, forms a complete closure for motor 10, and a compressor section comprising a crank case 16 and a cylinder housing 1'?. lnterrnediate motor section 15 and crank case 16 is a bearing support 18 and an annular space 19 for a purpose to be described. Motor 10 is preferably of the induction type which requires no commutator or brushes. 'lhe use of a brushless motor is important in a compressor of this type as the oil and rerigerating gases cause deterioration of the brushes anda spark in contact with the gas. mixture might cause .p an explosion.

Motor shaft 20 is journalled in hearings 21 which are secured in bearing support 18 of the casing and terminates at each end in an eccentric 22 to which a connecting rod 23 is secured by suitable means, such as strap 24. 'lhe particular means for connecting the connecting rod to the eccentric on the motor shaft is not set forth in detail since it is evi-dent that any standard form of construction may be employed.

Motor shaft 2O is provided with an oil ring 25 located' in alignment with an aperture 26 adjacent' bearing support 18 in section 1l of the casing` which communicate with annular space 19. An outwardly eX- tending dange '27 receives oil which is discharged byring25 and directs the same into TCD Crank cases 16 are closed by covers 33 which are secured 'thereto by any suitable means such as bolts 34. Said covers may be provided with inspection holes which are normally closed by plugs 36 and are provided with oil holes 87 closed by plugs 38.

A cylinder bushing or liner 40 is secured in cylinder housing 17 in any suitable manner as by pads 41 and flanges 57, which may be cast integrally with said housing. Piston 42 is attached to connecting rod 23 by suitable means and is provided with suitable rings 44 which are seated in bushing 40. Ports 45 are formed in pads 41 for the pura pose to be described.

. A plate 46 is secured between housing 17 and cylinder head 47 and is provided with apertures 48 through which the'compr'essed gases are discharged. Valve plate 49 is normally seated over said apertures and is hel-d in engagement therewith by spring 50 which is seated on stud 51. Discharge pipe 52 is associated with cylinder head 47 in any convenient manner as through a port 53 in the top thereof. Cylinder head 47 may be secured to housing 17 by bolts 54.

Bushing 40 is provided with an intake port 55 which communicates with a recess 56 formed in housing 17 between pad'41 and flange 57. Said recess may communicate with an intake pipe 58 by which the low pressure gases are applied to the cylinder.

In the modified form of oil seal shown in Fig. 2, a stationary fiange 60 is secured in recess 26 and contacts with shaft 20 of motor 10. Stationary washer 61 is connected with flange 60 by metallic bellows 62 and is held by spring 63 in engagement with ioating washer 64. Said washer 64 seats against a shoulder 65 on motor shaft 2 0 and prevents direct passage of oil alongsaid shaft. An oil hole 66 may be formed in bearing section 18 of the housing in communication with bleating 21 for directing oil 'onto the motor s a In the above described apparatus the two compressor cylinders are integrally mounted in the samevhousing vwith motor 10 and 'the pistons are directly driven by shaft 20 by means of eccentrics 22. The oil in the crank cases is prevented by the oil seal, shown in Fig. 1 as ring 25 and in Fig. 2 as the metallic bellows. from entering the motor compartment. The gas pressure in thel crank cases is equalized through ports 45, recesses 56 and pipe 58 andthe oil level is equalized through pipe 30 thereby eliminating` any tendency of the low pressure gases to force their way from one crank case to the other through the motor compartment. Ports 45 also allow oil to return to crank case 16 and relieve any surplus gas that may accumulate in the crank case. Since there is no active iiow of gas through the crank case there will be only a small amount of gas displaced will be understood that various omissions,

substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of."

the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a brushless motor, a housing therefor having a bearin support, a motor shaft journalled in saidl support, said housing having an annular recess adjacent said support and an oil ring carried by said shaft in alignment with said recess whereby Aoil is prevented from creeping along said shaft and entering said motor, and is discharged into said recess.

2. In combination, a brushless motor, a housing therefor having a bearing support, a motor shaft journalled in said support, said housing having an annular recess adjacent said support, an oil ring carried by said shaft in alignment with said recess whereby oil is prevented from creeping along said shaft4 and entering said motor, a compressor cylinder having a crank case integrally formed with said motor housing, and a downwardly extending web formed on said bearing support to prevent passage of oil from said crank s case into said recess.

3. In combination, a brushless electric motor, a pair of compressor cylinders associated therewith, a unitary housing for said cylinders andsaid motor, each of said cylinders having a crank case associated therewith, said motor having a. shaft extending into said crank case, said cylinders having a gas intake passage and a supply pipe interconnecting said passages, and a port extending between each said passage and crank case whereby gas pressure in said crank case isl equalized. 7

4. In combination, a brushless electric motor, a pair of compressor cylinders associated therewith, a unitary housing for said cylinders and said motor, each of said cylinders having a crank case associated therewith, said motor having a shaft extending into said crank cases, said cylinders having a gas intake passage and a supply pipe interconnecting said passages, a port extending between each said passage and crank case whereby gas pressure in said crank case is lequalized, and an oil pipe interconnecting the lower parts of said crank cases for equalizing the oil level therein.

5. ln combination, an electric motor, a housing therefor having a bearing support and a crank case, a motor shaft journalled in said support, said housing having an annular recess adjacent said support, an oil ring carried by said shaft in alignment with said recess whereby oil is discharged in 'said recess and is prevented from entering said motor, said recess/having an opening ninto said crank case whereby the oil is returned thereto.

6. A compressor'unit comprising an electric motor having a shaft, a housing for said motor having means rotatably supporting said shaft, a pair of compressor cylinders and crank cases mounted at opposite ends of said shaft and having pistons operated by said shaft, said cylinders and said crank cases being formed as a continuation of said housing and providing a complete enclosure through which no moving part extends,

means for preventing passage of oil from said crank cases along said shaft into said motor housing, said means also retardin g passage of gases into said motor housing, and means erternal of said motor housing'for equalizing the gas pressures in said crank cases whereby to further retard passage of said gases through said motor housing.

7. A compressor unit comprising an electric motor having a shaft, a housing for said motor having means rotatably supporting said shaft, a pair of compressor cylinders and crank cases mounted at opposite ends of said shaft and having pistons operated by said shaft, said cylinders and said crank cases being formed as a continuation of said housing and providing a complete enclosure through which no moving part extends, means for preventing passage of oil from saidcrank cases along said shaft into said motor hous ing, said means also retarding passage of gases into said motor housing, means external of said motor housing for equaliaing the gas pressures in said crank cases whereby to further retard passage of said gases through said motor housing, and means external of said motor housing for equalizing the oil level in said crank cases,

8. A compressor unit comprising an electric motor having a shaft, a housing for said motor having means rotatably supporting said shaft, a pair of compressor cylinders and crank cases mounted at opposite ends of said shaft and having pistons operated by said shaft, said cylinders and said crank cases being formed as a continuation of said housing and providing a complete enclosure through which no moving part extends, means for preventing passage of oil from said crank cases along said shaft into said motor housing, said means also retarding passage of gases inte said motor housing, means external of said motor housing for equalizin the gas pressures in said crank cases where y to further retard passage of said gases through said motor housing, and an oil pipe interconnecting said crank cases below the normal oil level therein for equalizing the oil level in said crank cases.

9. A compressor unit comprising an electric motor having a shaft, a housing for said motor having means rotatably supporting said shaft, a pair of compressor cylinders and crank cases mounted at opposite ends of said shaft and having pistons operated by said shaft, said cylinders and said crank cases being formed as a continuation of said housing and providing a complete enclosure through which no moving part extends, means for preventing passage of oil from said crank cases along said shaft into said motor housing, said means also retarding passage of gases into said motor housing, a pipe interconnecting said cylinders and communicating with said crank cases for equalizing the gas pressures in said crank cases whereby to further retard passage of said gases through said motor housing.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand.

THMAS JOSEPH FOWLER. 

